Facsimile communication system

Abstract

Pixel information and control information transmitted by a facsimile machine 1 a is received by a procedure controlling circuit 13 having a MODEM 13 a for facsimile machines. A facsimile procedure controller 14 decodes the pixel information and the control information. A connection/transfer controller 15 edits the decoded information and produces a control packet and a pixel packet. The control packet and the pixel packet are output to a local area network (LAN) 4 via a LAN controller 17 and a LAN control circuit 18 . When receiving a facsimile, the control packet signal transmitted via the LAN 4 is converted into pixel control information by the connection/transfer controller 15 , and the pixel control information is supplied to the facsimile procedure controller 14 . The connection/transfer controller 15 also converts the received pixel packet signal into pixel information. The pixel information is temporarily stored in a memory 16 . When a predetermined amount of pixel information is accumulated in the memory 16 , said predetermined amount of pixel information is supplied to the facsimile procedure controller 14 , and finally transmitted to the facsimile machine 1 a via the procedure control circuit 13.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A facsimile communication apparatus for receiving image data from a transmission side facsimile machine via a data communication network, for temporarily storing the image data in a memory, and for transmitting the image data to a receiving side facsimile machine, the facsimile communication apparatus comprising: 
       means for receiving the image data from the transmission side facsimile machine via the data communication network and for temporarily storing the received image data in the memory; and  
       a waiting controller for transmitting a prescribed wait control signal to the receiving side facsimile machine in order to have the receiving side facsimile machine stand by if a desirable amount of image data has not been stored in the memory at the time of receipt of a data receiving control signal representing the acceptability of image data from the receiving side facsimile machine.  
     
     
       2. The facsimile communication apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the waiting controller comprises: 
       determination means for determining whether or not the receiving side facsimile machine can wait in a data reception mode if the desirable amount of image data has not been stored in the memory at the time of receipt of the data-receiving control signal; and  
       waiting means for waiting for further storage of image data until the desirable amount of image data is stored in the memory if the determination means determines that the receiving side facsimile machine can wait in a data acceptable state.  
     
     
       3. The facsimile communication apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the waiting controller comprises: 
       determination means for determining whether or not the receiving side facsimile machine can wait in a data reception mode if the desirable amount of image data has not been stored in the memory at the time of receipt of the data-receiving control signal; and  
       a wait control signal transmitter for transmitting the wait control signal to the receiving side facsimile machine if the determination means determines that the receiving side facsimile machine cannot wait in the data reception mode.  
     
     
       4. The facsimile communication apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising calculation means for calculating the desirable amount of image data stored in the memory by multiplying the transmission rate of the image data determined by negotiation between the transmission side facsimile machine and the receiving side facsimile machine by a predetermined time stored in advance. 
     
     
       5. The facsimile communication apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising calculation means for calculating the desirable amount of image data stored in the memory by multiplying the communication rate determined by negotiation between the transmission side facsimile machine and the receiving side facsimile machine by a predetermined time stored in advance. 
     
     
       6. The facsimile communication apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the transmission side facsimile machine and the receiving side facsimile machine are G3 facsimile machines categorized based on a T.30 Recommendation, the data-receiving control signal comprises a data-receivable state confirmation signal CFR according to the T.30 Recommendation, and the wait control signal comprises a transmission site identification signal TSI according to the T.30 Recommendation. 
     
     
       7. A method for controlling a facsimile communication apparatus that receives image data from a transmission side facsimile machine via a data communication network, temporarily stores the received image data in a memory, and transmits the image data to a receiving side facsimile machine, the method comprising the steps of: 
       (A) causing the facsimile communication apparatus to temporarily store the image data received from the transmission side facsimile machine via the data communication network in the memory; and  
       (B) causing the facsimile communication apparatus to transmit a prescribed wait control signal to the receiving side facsimile machine in order to have the receiving side facsimile machine stand by if the desirable amount of image data has not been stored in the memory at the time of receipt of a data-receiving control signal representing the acceptability of the image data from the receiving side facsimile machine.  
     
     
       8. The method according to  claim 7 , wherein the step (B) comprises the substeps of: 
       (b1) causing the facsimile communication apparatus to determine whether or mot the receiving side facsimile machine can wait in a data reception mode if the desirable amount of image data has not been stored in the memory at the time of receipt of the data receiving control signal; and  
       (b2) causing the facsimile communication apparatus to wait for further storage of image data until the desirable amount of image data is stored in the memory if it is determined in the substep (b1) that the receiving side facsimile machine can wait in the data acceptable state.  
     
     
       9. The method according to  claim 7 , wherein the step (B) comprises the substeps of: 
       (b1) causing the facsimile communication apparatus to determine whether or not the receiving side facsimile machine can wait in a data reception mode if the desirable amount of image data has not been stored in the memory at the time of receipt of the data-receiving control signal; and  
       (b3) causing the facsimile communication apparatus to transmit the wait control signal to the receiving side facsimile machine if it is determined in the substep (b 1) that the receiving side facsimile machine cannot wait in the data reception mode.  
     
     
       10. The method according to  claim 7 , wherein the step (B) further comprises substep of: 
       (b4) causing the facsimile communication apparatus to calculate the desirable amount of image data stored in the memory by multiplying the transmission rate of the image data determined by negotiation between the transmission side facsimile machine and the receiving side facsimile machine by a predetermined time stored in advance.  
     
     
       11. The method according to  claim 7 , wherein the step (B) further comprises substep of: 
       (b5) causing the facsimile communication apparatus to calculate the desirable amount of image data stored in the memory by multiplying the communication rate determined by negotiation between the transmission side facsimile machine and the receiving side facsimile machine by a predetermined time stored in advance.  
     
     
       12. The program according to  claim 7 , wherein the transmission side facsimile machine and the receiving side facsimile machine are G3 facsimile machines categorized based on a T.30 Recommendation, the data-receiving control signal comprises a data-receivable state confirmation signal CFR according to the T.30 Recommendation, and the wait control signal comprises a transmission site identification signal TSI according to the T.30 Recommendation. 
     
     
       13. A method for controlling a facsimile communication apparatus that receives image data from a transmission side facsimile machine via a data communication network, temporarily stores the image data in a memory, and transits the image data to a receiving side facsimile machine, the method comprising the steps of: 
       (C) receiving the image data from the transmission side facsimile machine via the data communication network and temporarily storing the received image data in the memory; and  
       (D) transmitting a prescribed wait control signal to the receiving side facsimile machine in order to have the receiving side facsimile machine stand by the desirable amount of image data has not been stored in the memory at the time of receipt of a data-receiving control signal representing the acceptability of the image data from the receiving side facsimile machine.  
     
     
       14. The method for controlling a facsimile communication apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein the step (D) comprises the substeps of: 
       (d1) determining whether or not the receiving side facsimile machine can wait in a data reception mode if the desirable amount of image data has not been stored in the memory at the time of receipt of the data-receiving control signal; and  
       (d2) waiting for further storage of image data until the desirable amount of image data is stored in the memory if it is determined in the substep (d1) that the receiving side facsimile machine can wait in the data acceptable state.  
     
     
       15. The method according to  claim 13 , wherein the step (D) comprises the substeps of: 
       (d1) determining whether or not the receiving side facsimile machine can wait in a data reception mode if the desirable amount of image data has not been stored in the memory at the time of receipt of the data-receiving control signal; and  
       (d3) transmitting the wait control signal to the receiving side facsimile machine if it is determined in the substep (d1) that the receiving side facsimile machine cannot wait in the data reception mode.  
     
     
       16. The method according to  claim 13 , wherein the step (D) further comprises the substep of: 
       (d4) calculating the desirable amount of image data stored in the memory by multiplying the transmission rate of the image data determined by negotiation between the transmission side facsimile machine and the receiving side facsimile machine by a predetermined time stored in advance.  
     
     
       17. The method according to  claim 13 , wherein the step (D) further comprises the substep of: 
       (d5) calculating the desirable amount of image data stored in the memory by multiplying the communication rate determined by negotiation between the transmission side facsimile machine and the receiving side facsimile machine by a predetermined time stored in advance.  
     
     
       18. The method according to  claim 13 , wherein the transmission side facsimile machine and the receiving data facsimile machine are G3 facsimile machines categorized based on a T.30 Recommendation, the data-receiving control signal comprises a data-receivable state confirmation signal CFR according to the T.30 Recommendation, and the wait control signal comprises a transmission site identification Signal TSI according to the T.30 Recommendation.